Charlotte Concerts presents pianist Haochen Zhang on January 22

WHAT: Charlotte Concerts (formerly Carolinas Concert Association) is proud to bring Van Cliburn International Gold Medal Winner Haochen Zhang to Central Piedmont Community College’s (CPCC) prestigious Halton Theater stage. The event is the second in a series of great performances scheduled for Charlotte Concerts’ 2009-2010 season and is being underwritten in part by Carolyn Gono McMahon and Samuel Henry McMahon Tribute Fund.

A native of China, Mr. Zhang began studying the piano at age three. At age five, he made his recital debut at the Shanghai Music Hall, performing all 15 Bach two-part inventions, as well as sonatas by Haydn and Mozart. His orchestral debut followed a year later when he performed a Mozart concerto with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, and at 17, he became the youngest winner ever of the China International Piano Competition (2007).

Since this crowning achievement, Mr. Zhang has performed with the China National Symphony, Polish Krakow State Philharmonic, Guangzhou and Shenzhen Symphony Orchestras, as well as with the New Jersey Symphony and Philadelphia Orchestras, among others.

He was most recently awarded the prestigious Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Gold Medal at this year’s Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, which recognizes the most noted soloists of our time. Today, at just 19 years of age, Mr. Zhang has already begun to forge a reputation as a strong, energetic pianist with a sophisticated approach and musical depth far beyond his years. In fact, a critic with the Dallas Morning News has said, “ Zhang . . . demonstrated a musical maturity almost unimaginable in one so young.”

Start your New Year on a high note and purchase your tickets to this special performance today!

WHEN: Friday, January 22; 8 p.m.

WHERE: Halton Theater, Overcash Center, CPCC Central Campus, 1206 Elizabeth Ave., Charlotte

CONTACT: To order tickets, please call the CPCC Box Office at 704.330.6534 or visit tix.cpcc.edu or charlotteconcerts.org. Free parking is available in the faculty/staff parking deck, accessible from East Fourth Street.

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Charlotte Concerts is a nonprofit organization founded in 1930, and is the first organization to present a performing arts series in Charlotte. Charlotte Concerts sponsors and promotes the finest programs in the performing arts from around the world. They also provide a myriad of educational opportunities that enable students to develop a greater understanding of and appreciation for classical music and dance. For more information, visit www.charlotteconcerts.org.

Central Piedmont Community College is the largest community college in North Carolina, offering close to 300 degree and certification programs, customized corporate training, market-focused continuing education, and special interest classes. CPCC is academically, financially and geographically accessible to all citizens of Mecklenburg County. In 2002, the National Alliance of Business named CPCC the Community College of the Year for its response to the workforce and technology needs of local employers and job seekers through innovative educational and training strategies.

This release prepared by Mallory Benz, 704.330.6613. An archive of CPCC news releases is at http://www.cpcc.edu/college-news.